THE Dartmoor Preservation Association is calling for a major shake-up of the way members are appointed to the Dartmoor National Park Authority.

The society wants an increase in the number of nationally appointed members on the park authority so that there is a 50-50 split between them and those appointed locally.

The move comes in response to a discussion document issued by the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs reviewing national park authorities throughout England.

The society is calling for members to be obliged to sign a pledge to uphold national park values.

It also wants a procedure allowing the removal of park members who fail to uphold – or show contempt for – national park values, and also supports an independent chairman.

In addition, the association is calling on the government to give the national park authority greater powers to resist major developments on Dartmoor.

The association's chief executive, John Bainbridge, said that pressure from his body had led to Dartmoor's designation as a national park.

'The moor has most definitely benefited from park status. But, to a certain extent, the first half- century of the Dartmoor National Park has been an experiment. It has given us an opportunity to see how Dartmoor's national park status might be improved.

'We welcome, therefore, the government's commitment to the national park ethos and broadly support many of the suggestions in the Defra discussion document.

'Our comments in this response are modest and based on our long study of the operations of the Dartmoor National Park Authority. Only those people who do not support Dartmoor's national park status could oppose these sensible reforms,' he said.

At present, there are 26 members on the DNPA. Seven are appointed by Devon County Council, three each by Teignbridge and West Devon Councils and one by South Hams Council. Five parish members, and seven others, are appointed by the Secretary of State for the Environment.

The association was founded in 1883 and has 2,500 members made up of landowners across the national park. The association supports enhanced public transport in the Dartmoor area and a greater enjoyment of the moor for the car-less.